Carpentry - If You Build It   By Hank Mettarod



I’m a carpenter by trade. I build things. It’s a good profession and it pays me good money. Has a great history, too. They say Jesus was a carpenter. I believe it. I started out when I was a boy helping my father with projects around the house. I was pretty good at it. He showed me a lot about how to sand things smooth and make sure that joints fit together just so. To him it was just a garage hobby.

When I got to high school and started wanting to make money so I could take the girls out, I decided to apply with a local cabinetry shop. They hired me. At first, almost all I got to do was help the men with little things. I’d hold things for them and bring them nails and tools. Eventually, they let me hammer in some nails and start cutting boards. You really have to work your way up and prove yourself when you’re a kid in a cabinetry shop.

One summer I decided to try my hand at building houses. So I took a job with a local construction firm. I didn’t have to start quite at the bottom this time, but they made sure I knew what I was doing before they let me do anything important. I won’t go into all the technical details, because most people don’t know a lot of carpentry terms, but eventually I got pretty good at the house building stuff.

Then I decided to combine some of the cabinetry skills with the house building. I wanted to see if I could make it with one of those upscale design firms that did special custom house jobs. That’s where I finally found my niche! Now I do fancy woodwork in those big nice houses in the best neighborhoods in town. The pay’s a lot better and I can take my girl to really nice restaurants! She likes the way my being a carpenter keeps me fit and strong, too. It’s not for everybody, but it’s my job and I like it. If you’re looking for your own niche in the working world, you might give it a try.